Pandemic tabletop system and methods for preventing pathogen transmission

ABSTRACT

The invention provides, in some aspects, a tabletop-based system to prevent pathogen transmission that includes a collection vent that collects airflow from a volumetric region above a tabletop, a filter that filters the collected airflow and that is in fluid coupling with the collection vent, an air mover that creates the airflow through the volumetric region to the vent, and one or more surfaces that define the region, where those surfaces include at least the tabletop. According to these aspects of the invention, the vent is disposed in a vicinity of at least one of the aforesaid surfaces and is elongate along an axis substantially aligned with a useable edge of the tabletop, i.e., an edge of the tabletop at which a person who is using the tabletop sits, kneels, stands or is otherwise disposed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention pertains to preventing the transmission of pathogens. It has application, by way of non-limiting example, in reducing risk and preventing the transmission of coronaviruses such as COVID-19 (a/k/a “SARS-CoV-2” and “the novel coronavirus”) in the workplace, at schools, restaurants and other places where people meet. For the good of the public, it is the intention of the inventor and applicant to disclaim under 35 U.S.C. 253 any patent that issues from this application.

Exhaled air can contain droplets full of pathogens. The larger of these fall out of the exhalant relatively quickly. However, droplets under 5 μm in diameter (or “aerosols”) have a tendency to become entrained in air currents, where they can remain for hours or more. There is increasing consensus in the scientific community that such airborne transmission is a primary mechanism of the spread of COVID-19. See, Lu, et al, “COVID-19 Outbreak Associated with Air Conditioning in Restaurant, Guangzhou, China, 2020,” Emerging Infectious Diseases, 26(7), 1628-1631 (2020) downloaded from https://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid2607.200764 and, from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, at https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/7/20-0764 article, concluding that a key vector of COVID-19 transmission is the airflow-based transport of infected droplets. Masks to protect from such pathogens are disclosed at https://www.tdcommons.org/dpubs_series/3398/.

Unfortunately, conducting a business, running a school, or operating any but the most solitary of venues involves people meeting together in a shared space, breathing shared air and transmitting pathogens amongst themselves. While the human body defends itself effectively from many of these, others like COVID-19, have proven more problematic and, often, deadly.

An object of the invention is to provide improved methods and systems for preventing the transmission of pathogens.

A related object of the invention is to provide such improved methods and systems as prevent the transmission of airborne pathogens.

A further related object of the invention is to provide such improved methods and systems as are suitable for use in businesses, schools and other places that people congregate and breathe shared air, e.g., restaurants, entertainment venues, and so forth.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The foregoing are among the objects attained by the invention, which provides in some aspects a tabletop-based system to prevent pathogen transmission that includes a collection vent that collects airflow from a volumetric region above a tabletop, a filter that filters the collected airflow and that is in fluid coupling with the collection vent, an air mover that creates the airflow through the volumetric region to the vent, and one or more surfaces that define the region, where those surfaces include at least the tabletop. According to these aspects of the invention, the vent is disposed in a vicinity of at least one of the aforesaid surfaces and is elongate along an axis substantially aligned with a useable edge of the tabletop, i.e., an edge of the tabletop at which a person who is using the tabletop sits, kneels, stands or is otherwise disposed.

Related aspects of the invention provide a system, e.g., as described above, wherein the tabletop comprises a surface of a desk.

Further related aspects of the invention provide a system, e.g., as described above, wherein the tabletop and one or more others of said surfaces define an alcove.

Still further related aspects of the invention provide a system, e.g., as described above, wherein the collection vent is disposed adjacent an edge of the tabletop, for example, that edge of the tabletop that is opposed to the usable edge.

Yet still further related aspects of the invention provide a system, e.g., as described above, wherein the collection vent is coupled to a duct that routes to the filter airflow collected from the region by the vent. In related aspects of the invention, the collection vent comprises a duct having one or more apertures that collect airflow from the region.

Other aspects of the invention provide a system, e.g., as described above, wherein the air mover is any of a fan and a vacuum pump in fluid coupling with the duct.

In still other aspects, the invention provides a system, e.g., as described above, wherein the filter comprises a HEPA filter.

Yet other aspects of the invention provide a system, e.g., as described above, comprising an exhaust vent disposed to circulate to an environment in a vicinity of the tabletop airflow that has passed through the filter.

Related aspects of the invention provide a system, e.g., as described above, wherein the one or more surfaces that define the volumetric region include a top barrier disposed, e.g., above a height of a head or just below eye level of a person using the tabletop (whereas the tabletop is disposed at a height of a midsection of such person). Related aspects of the invention provide a system, e.g., as described above, wherein the collection vent is disposed adjacent the top barrier, e.g., at an edge thereof.

Still other aspects of the invention provide a system, e.g., as described above wherein the collection vent is disposed adjacent the tabletop centrally with respect to the usable edge and an edge of the tabletop opposed to the useable edge. In related aspects of the invention, such a system can include an upwardly-extending facing barrier that is disposed normal to the tabletop and centrally with respect to those edges. Opposing faces of that barrier can be parallel to those edges. Such a facing barrier can, according to further aspects of the invention, be positioned to permit airflow to the collection vent from the volumetric region above the tabletop between the usable edge and the edge opposed thereto.

Yet still other aspects of the invention provide a system, e.g., as described above, wherein the one or more surfaces include one or more upwardly-extending side barriers disposed normal to the tabletop and to the usable edge.

Still yet other aspects of the invention provide a tabletop-based system, e.g., as described above, wherein in lieu of (or in addition to) the aforesaid filter an exhaust fan moves the collected airflow away from a room in which the tabletop is disposed.

Still other aspects of the invention are evident in the drawings and in the text below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT

A more complete understanding of the invention may be attained by reference to the drawings, in which

FIG. 1 is a side view of a table system according to the invention with a facing barrier and collection vents;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the table system of the type shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of a table system according to the invention with side barriers, facing barriers and collection vents;

FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of a desk configuration of a table system according to the invention with side barriers, a facing barrier and a top barrier, in addition to collection vents; and

FIG. 5 is a front view of the table system of FIG. 4 additionally depicting an air-moving filter and an exhaust vent.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT

Described below are systems and methods that establish airflows within volumetric regions above desktops and tabletops (hereinafter, collectively, “tabletops”) at which persons work and/or converse in order to corral and divert, e.g., for filtration or otherwise, their exhalants and, thereby, prevent smaller particles or aerosols in them from lingering in environmental air currents and infecting others. As used here, the term “exhalant” refers to breath, particulates and other gasses, liquids and/or solids expelled by persons through the nose or mouth, regardless of whether they are breathing, laughing, coughing, sneezing speaking or otherwise.

The systems and methods shown herein can additionally rely on the physical barriers presented by the tabletops themselves—and, in some embodiments, on those presented by facing barriers, top barriers and/or side barriers—to not only corral and divert exhalants and the smaller particles (or aerosols) therein but also to stop the momentum of larger particles expelled with those exhalants, thereby, further preventing the unwanted transmission of pathogens.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are side and top views of a table 103 according to one practice of the invention having a facing barrier 100 and a collection vent 101. The table 103, which comprises a tabletop 103 a disposed on legs 103 b, is of any conventional variety known in the art as adapted in accord with the teachings hereof. Thus, for example, the tabletop 103 a and/or legs 103 b may be fabricated from wood, metal, plastic, stone, ceramic, and so forth, or any combination thereof, as is within the ken of those skilled in the art in view of the teachings hereof.

And, although illustrated table 103 is depicted as including a square or rectangular tabletop 103 a at “sitting” height (i.e., at a height of a midsection of a person using the tabletop 103 a in a sitting position), in other embodiments, the tabletop 103 a may be of another shape or at another height and/or orientation. Thus, by way of non-limiting example, the tabletop 103 a may be round or of an unconventional shape, and it may be at a standing height (e.g., as in the case of tables at bars, libraries, public registries and so forth, wherein the table is at the height of the midsection of a standing person), at kneeling height, and so forth, all by way of non-limiting example.

Illustrated table 103 may be intended and/or used for any purpose (e.g., working, studying eating, teaching, reading, and so forth) by one or more persons who are facing, leaning on and/or otherwise using it (hereinafter, collectively, “using”) and who, in connection therewith, are expelling exhalant and/or other bodily emissions along a vector p originating at the respective user and extending across the tabletop in the direction that the user is facing—typically, a direction paralleling illustrated axis y.

In the illustrated embodiment, two people—conversants 106, 107—are shown facing the table as if talking to one another, though, in other embodiments, the table 103 may be used by a single person or many more people. Embodiments of the table 103 intended for only one person, who is studying, reading or working from a sitting posture is often referred to as a desk and its surface as a desktop—both of which terms are used synonymously with table and tabletop herein.

The discussion that follows is directed to structural and other features of the illustrated embodiment as the pertain to preventing the transmission of pathogens contained in exhalant of a single conversant 106. However, it will be appreciated from the discussion and the attached drawings that those features can be implemented for any and all other conversants (e.g., in this case, conversant 107) and/or other people using the table 103.

Disposed on or adjacent the tabletop 103 is an elongate collection vent 101. This may be disposed at an edge of the tabletop 103 a opposite that edge at which the user sits, stands or is otherwise disposed when using the table 103—the latter edge of which is referred to as a “useable” edge elsewhere herein. In other embodiments, the vent 101 may be disposed at that usable edge or, in still other embodiments, at an adjacent edge of the tabletop 103 a (to wit, an edge at either side of the user).

In some embodiments, vent 101 is not disposed along an edge of the tabletop 103 a but, rather, is disposed on or adjacent the surface of the tabletop 103 a itself, as is illustrated vis-à-vis tabletop 103 a in FIGS. 1-2. In the illustrated embodiment, the vent 101 is disposed transversely to the vector p, that is, so that the vent's long axis is transverse to (e.g., perpendicular or otherwise oblique) to the direction p in which the user is expected to expel exhalant. For convenience, the vent may be permanently or semi-permanently mounted transversely to the axis y of the tabletop 103—or, put another way, parallel to the edge occupied by the conversant 106 or other user (hereinafter, alternatively, “user 106” or “conversant 106,” without loss of generality).

Distancing of the vent 101 from the user 106 is based on the expected use case. Thus, in a desktop environment, the vent 101 is typically positioned adjacent the edge of the tabletop 103 a at which the user is disposed or at arm's length therefrom, e.g., so as not to obstruct the user's use of the tabletop 103 a. In embodiments such as those shown in FIGS. 1-2, where two or more people 106, 107 are expected to use the table 103, the vent 101 can be positioned at a point between them, either approximately mid-way (as illustrated) or otherwise. Moreover, the vent 101 can be paired up with one or more other such vents, e.g., also as shown in FIGS. 1-2.

In still other embodiments, the vent 101 is disposed substantially above the tabletop 103 a, as in the case of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, showing a collection vent 101 disposed adjacent a top barrier (or panel) 208. In that embodiment, both the vent 101 and barrier 208 are disposed at a height that is above the head of the user 106 or, at least, above that of his/her mouth and nose, from which the exhalant is expelled. And, whereas the vent 101 of the configuration of FIG. 5 can be disposed at an edge of the top barrier 208—e.g., that edge of barrier 208 directly facing the user 106 and corresponding to the so-called useable edge of the tabletop 103 a or, conversely, the parallel but opposite edge of the barrier 208—it can instead be positioned on or adjacent the top barrier 208 between those edges and parallel thereto (or otherwise), as shown in FIG. 4.

Vent 101, which comprises a conduit, tubing, duct or other elongate via (collectively, “duct”) features air holes 104, slots, or other apertures, collects airflow 108 within the volumetric region 109 above a tabletop 103 a and, more particularly, an airflow within a volume roughly defined, at one boundary, by the respective user (e.g., 106) of the table 103 and, at another volumetric boundary, by the tabletop 103 a toward which he/she is facing. In embodiments in which the tabletop 103 a is positioned directly adjacent one or more walls of an office, workroom or other alcove (not shown), the region can be further defined by that or those wall(s). Likewise, in embodiments which utilize them, that region can be defined by one or more barriers disposed in or around the tabletop 103 a, e.g., as illustrated in FIGS. 1-5 and discussed below—which barriers themselves can define an alcove. One or more of the air holes 101, slots, or other apertures in vent 101 may be selectably closable, e.g., by a slidable insert, a detachable or fixed cover, or otherwise, all as is within the ken of those skilled in the art in view of the teachings hereof, to concentrate the collection of airflow 108 in a location closest to user 106.

Practically speaking, the volumetric region can be visualized as the region above the tabletop 103 a in front of that user in the direction of his/her respective vector p—i.e., the region into which the user's exhalant is expelled during the course of breathing, coughing, sneezing, talking and/or otherwise using the table 103.

In some embodiments, the collection vent 101 routes airflow 108 collected from the aforesaid volumetric region 109 through a filter that forms part of the vent 101 and/or to which that vent is in fluid coupling by means of a duct. Such an arrangement is shown by way of example in the embodiment of FIG. 5 and can be applied as well in the other embodiments illustrated herein. Referring to that drawing, collection vent 101 is fluidly coupled by duct 231 to airflow unit 230, shown here including a HEPA or other filter 230 of the type known in the art suitable for removing pathogens and having an exhaust vent 232 that expels the filtered airflow back into the environmental air in vicinity of table 103.

In embodiments, such as those shown in FIGS. 1-3 supporting use of a tabletop system by two or more persons and in which airflow is filtered and expelled back in vicinity of table 103, separate collection vents 101, ducts 231, airflow units 230 and vents 232 are preferably provided for each of those persons, as shown in the drawing, and the filtered air expelled by the vents 232 of each is preferably routed to each person's respective side of the table 103 to avoid commingling of the recirculated air and to maintain separate “air bubbles” between the respective person's, e.g., conversants 106 and 107.

To facilitate such routing of the airflow 108, unit 230 of the illustrated embodiment includes an air mover (not shown), such as a fan or vacuum, per convention in the art as adapted in accord with the teachings hereof. Though such an air mover can be powered sufficiently to move airflow 108 collected at the vent 101 through the duct 231 and filter 230, preferably, the air mover is so powered as to create an airflow 108 within volume 109 of sufficient power to entrain at least aerosols contained in exhalant emitted by the user 106, if not also larger particles potentially in that exhalant containing pathogens.

Other embodiments of the type discussed above forego use of a filter in unit 230, relying, instead upon the air mover to route airflow collected by the vent 101 away from the table 103 and, more particularly, away from the users 106, 107, thereof—preferably into the outdoors or into another room away from people.

As noted above, tabletop 103 can include one or more barriers that further define the volumetric region 109 and that not only corral and divert exhalants and the smaller particles (or aerosols) therein but also stop the momentum of larger particles expelled with those exhalants. Examples of those barriers—none, some or all of which may be incorporated into any particular embodiment—are shown in FIGS. 1-2 (facing barrier 100), FIG. 3 (facing barrier 100 and side barriers 111), FIGS. 4-5 (facing barrier 100, side barriers 111 and top barrier 208).

Each of the barriers in the illustrated embodiment comprises a sheet-like or planar material, such as wallboard, window glass, sheet metal, plexiglass, and so forth, treated or untreated for safety, sound-dampening, privacy and so forth, all in the manner known in the art as adapted in accord with the teachings hereof. Significantly, each of the barriers presents a surface defining a respective boundary of volume 109 in order to corral, divert and/or stop the momentum of pathogens in exhalants, as noted above.

Facing barrier 100 is disposed normal to the tabletop 103 a and extends upwardly therefrom. As with vent 101 of FIGS. 1-2, discussed above, facing barrier 100 may be disposed at an edge of the tabletop 103 a opposite that edge at which the user sits or transversely to the vector p or axis y at a point midway or elsewhere (e.g., an arms-length or further from user 106) along tabletop 103 a. To ensure that it does not impede airflow to the vent 101, the barrier 100 can be placed further from user 106 or otherwise offset from him/her, all is within the ken of those skilled in the art in view of the teachings hereof.

Side barrier 111 is likewise disposed normal to the tabletop 103 a and extends upwardly therefrom. It can, likewise, also be disposed at an edge of the tabletop 103 a or along the surface thereof, and it can likewise be disposed an arm's distance or more away from the user 106. Unlike facing barrier 100, which is disposed transverse to vector p or axis y (and which, therefore, tends to “face” the user 106), side barrier is disposed parallel to vector p or axis y (and, therefore, tends to be disposed at the side of the user 106).

Top barrier 208 is disposed offset from and above the tabletop 103 a, typically, at a height above that of the head of user 106, or just below eye level in embodiments that enable eye-to-eye contact. It can be angled, e.g., away from the user, or it can parallel tabletop 103 a, all as is within the ken of those skilled in the art in view of the teachings hereof.

In operation, a user 106 desiring to use a tabletop system as described above disposes him- or herself at the tabletop 103 a, either sitting, standing, kneeling or otherwise as per the height of the tabletop 103 and the intended use. The air mover incorporated into or coupled with unit 230 creates and/or collects an airflow 108 within the volume 109, drawing at least aerosols in the user's exhalant into the vent 101, where they travel through the filter media therein and/or out vent 232 for recirculation or disposal.

Described above and shown in the drawings are systems and methods achieving the objects presented earlier, among others. It will be appreciated that the embodiments described and shown herein are merely examples of the invention and that other embodiments, making changes to those presented herein are within the scope of the invention, of which I claim the following. 

In view of the foregoing, what I claim is:
 1. A tabletop-based system to prevent pathogen transmission, comprising A. a collection vent that collects airflow from a volumetric region above a tabletop, B. a filter that filters the collected airflow and that is in fluid coupling with the collection vent, C. an air mover that creates the airflow through the volumetric region to the vent, D. one or more surfaces that define the region, the surfaces including a least said tabletop, and E. the vent being disposed in a vicinity of at least one of the surfaces and being elongate along an axis that is substantially aligned with a useable edge of the tabletop.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the tabletop comprises a surface of a desk.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the tabletop and one or more other of said surfaces define an alcove.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the collection vent is disposed adjacent the tabletop.
 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the collection vent is disposed adjacent an edge of the tabletop.
 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the collection vent is disposed adjacent an edge of the tabletop opposed to the usable edge.
 7. The system of claim 4, wherein the collection vent is coupled to a duct that routes to the filter airflow collected from the region by the collection vent.
 8. The system of claim 6, wherein the collection vent comprises a portion of the duct having one or more apertures that collect airflow from the region.
 9. The system of claim 6, wherein the air mover comprises any of a fan and a vacuum pump in fluid coupling with the duct.
 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the filter comprises a HEPA filter.
 11. The system of claim 1, comprising an exhaust vent disposed to circulate to an environment in a vicinity of the tabletop airflow that has passed through the filter.
 12. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more surfaces that define the volumetric region include a top barrier.
 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the tabletop is disposed at a height of a midsection of a person using the tabletop, and wherein the top barrier is disposed at a height above a head or just below eye level of such person.
 14. The system of claim 12, wherein the collection vent is disposed adjacent the top barrier.
 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the collection vent is disposed adjacent an edge of the top barrier.
 16. The system of claim 1, wherein the vent is disposed adjacent the tabletop centrally with respect to the usable edge and an edge opposed to the useable edge.
 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more surfaces comprise a facing barrier that is disposed normal to the tabletop centrally with respect to the usable edge and the opposing edge, wherein the facing barrier has opposing faces parallel to those edges.
 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the facing barrier is positioned to permit airflow to the collection vent from volumetric regions above the tabletop between the usable edge and the edge opposed thereto.
 19. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more surfaces include one or more side barriers disposed normal to the tabletop and to the usable edge.
 20. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more surfaces include the tabletop, and one or more of (i) a top barrier disposed offset from and above the tabletop, (ii) a facing barrier that is disposed normal to the tabletop and parallel to the useable edge, (iii) a side barrier that is disposed normal to the tabletop and to the useable edge.
 21. A tabletop-based system to vitiate pathogen transmission, comprising A. a collection vent that collects airflow from a volumetric region above a tabletop, B. an exhaust vent that is in fluid coupling with the collection event and that exhausts the collected airflow away from the tabletop, C. an air mover that creates the airflow through the volumetric region to the vent, D. one or more surfaces that define the region, the surfaces including a least said tabletop, and E. the vent being disposed in a vicinity of at least one of the surfaces and being elongate along an axis that is substantially aligned with a useable edge of the tabletop.
 22. The system of claim 21, wherein the exhaust van exhausts the collected airflow away from a room in which the tabletop is disposed. 